Ex-heavyweights walk on air after shedding stones

AFTER losing almost half her body weight, Jan Bradley felt like she was walking on air in Dublin yesterday when she won the Flora Light Weight Watchers Member of the Year Award.

The mother of three teenage sons from Piercetown, Co Wexford, lost 10 stone, three pounds over the past three years, reducing her body weight from 21 stone, nine pounds to 11 stone, six pounds.

“Before Weight Watchers, even walking was impossible, now it’s part of my daily routine. There’s no stopping me now. I’ll try anything new,” said the 37-year-old civil servant, who went from a size 32 to 12-14.

Also named Flora Light Weight Watcher Member of the Year was Phil Foster, originally from Birmingham, but now living in Galway. He lost six stone, three pounds, reducing his weight from 19 stone, three pounds to 13 stone.

The 31-year-old electronics engineer, who saw his waist size drop from 42 inches to 34 over the past two years, said losing weight was the best thing he ever did. “I enjoy shopping for clothes now and they look good on me,” he said.

Jan joined Weight Watchers in November 2000. Her sister, Teresa, who had lost two-and-a-half stone with Weight Watchers and was a Gold member, had been badgering her to join. “I joined just to get her off my back,” she laughed.

During her first week with Weight Watchers, Jan lost nine pounds. “I had an idea then that it would work and stuck at it.” It took her 19 months to lose the 10 stone.

Jan was always big since she was a child and dreamed of being slim but, as she grew older, her weight just kept going up and up.

“I was always an outgoing and jolly person but that was really a front. The remarks about my weight did hurt.”

Jan still eats everything she used to eat before she started losing weight. “I eat everything I want. I just eat sensibly. If I want a cream cake, I’ll have a cream cake. I just work it into my system.”

Her advice to anyone contemplating joining Weight Watchers is to be realistic about the amount of weight they want to lose. “Don’t try and lose it too quickly. The system does work,” she said.

Phil had been piling on the weight since he was a university student.

He became sick at the sight of himself in July 2002 when he was the heaviest he had ever been.

As well as adopting a healthy eating lifestyle, Phil also took up exercise gradually. “I decided from the start to introduce exercise slowly, using the stairs instead of the lift.

“I now walk regularly and, as the weight came off, my fitness increased and I tried new activities and sports.” Asked if he had advice for other men trying to lose weight, Phil simply replied: “Just start.” The weight would come off as long as they were motivated and patient.

Jan and Phil were among the 11 finalists whittled down from hundreds of members who entered the competition.

Among them, the 11 finalists shed 69 stone and four-and-a-half pounds.